Synonyms of breakthrough

breakthrough

noun

ˈbrāk-ˌthrü 

as in improvement

an instance of notable progress in the development of knowledge, technology, or skill

Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin was one of medicine's great breakthroughs, for penicillin became the first antibiotic to successfully combat bacterial infections in humans

Synonyms & Similar Words

• improvement
• advance
• advancement
• enhancement
• development
• innovation
• discovery
• refinement
• evolution
• increase
• upturn
• upswing
• revival
• amelioration
• strengthening
• maturation
• enlightenment
• growth
• betterment
• find
• renaissance
• education
• boost
• expansion
• quantum leap
• uplift
• windfall
• gestation
• ripening
• elaboration
• civilization
• melioration
• upgrade
• perfection
• heightening
• edification
• uptrend
• renascence
• invention

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• setback
• breakdown
• collapse
• crash
• reduction
• impediment
• hindrance
• decrease
• failing
• decline
• deterioration
• stumbling block
• worsening
• lapse
• weakening
• decay
• degeneration
• sinking
• impairment
• descent
• drawback
• shortcoming
• slowing
• lessening
• decadence
• downgrade
• detriment
• glitch
• declension
• diminishment
• disablement
• flagging
• languishment
• ebbing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of breakthrough

Emily's Entourage But for patients like Kramer-Golinkoff who don't produce a fully functional CFTR protein to benefit from those drugs, the big breakthrough didn't change much. — Gerry Smith, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026

The breakthrough arrives amid a broader push toward multifunctional synthetic skins. — New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026

In such disparate areas as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum science, bioengineering, next-generation energy, and space, breakthroughs that are crucial to the country’s power and influence are emanating from private companies. — David S. Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026

One of the more significant medical breakthroughs of the 2000s was the development and regulatory approval of hepatitis C medications that have minimal side effects and cure more than 95% of people with chronic disease in just eight to 12 weeks. — Philip A. Chan, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026